In the processing of thick film electronic materials--conductors, resistors and dielectrics--, it is frequently difficult to effect removal of the organic medium during firing without leaving carbonaceous residues and stains on the fired material layers. This is especially true when the electronic material is dispersed in an organic medium which contains cellulosic components such as ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose and ethylhydroxyethyl cellulose.
Cellulosic materials are often preferred components for organic media because they impart to thick film dispersions made therefrom excellent dispersion stability and printing rheology. Such thick film layers typically have good printability, can be printed rapidly, and yield smooth printed layers.
Heretofore, it has been necessary to substitute all or part of the cellulosic materials with acrylic polymers, which ordinarily have better burnout characteristics. However, such acrylic polymers do not have as good rheological properties as the cellulosic binders.
Therefore, it would be very desirable to have a means by which one could retain the use of cellulosic binder materials in thick film electronic compositions while simultaneously obtaining the good burnout characteristics usually associated only with acrylic polymers.